Sometimes in sales things happen that although you see them
and hear them you still can’t believe them, today one of those special times
happened.
I was in the field with a rep and we stopped into an old
customer of his to check to see if they needed anything. The rep approached his
customer and they shook hands and gave all the normal small talk greetings that
I have heard hundreds of times.
The rep asked the customer if he could go and check the
inventory, which is what he does every time he calls on this customer. However
today was different, the customer told him no. The rep asked if there was a
problem and the customer replied that there was and asked the rep to step into
his office alone.
Now I have sat in waiting rooms before while reps and
customers talked, as a trainer it happens quite a number of times, but this was
very different. As the door closed I could hear the customer start to yell at
the rep. Through the closed door I really couldn’t hear what they were yelling
at each other about but I could tell that it was heated and that nothing good
was going to come out of that office.
It was only about 3 or 4 minutes later that the rep and
customer walked back out into the waiting area where I was. I expected to see bruises
and blood from the battle that had just taken place. To my surprise they came
walking out all smiles and the rep told me to follow him to the back to take
the inventory.
I was almost as confused as you are right now. I didn’t know
what happened but couldn’t wait to get into the car with the rep so I could
ask.
We spent another 25 minutes talking the inventory and getting
a $1200.00 order before we made it to the car. I sat in the passenger seat and
just looked at the rep, he laughed and said he would tell me when we were
driving out of the parking lot.
He said that this was his usual monthly brow beating, he
said that every month the customer goes through the same conversation with him
about how much product he buys and how much money he spends and how he wants
either a price break or a quarterly reimbursement. The rep started laughing
because he could see the amazement on my face. He continued to tell me that
every month he tells the customer that he is getting the best prices, his company
doesn’t give reimbursement checks and that he gives the customer the absolute
best service of any vendor that supplies him.
He told me that every month the customer then tells him to
just make sure that he isn’t being taken advantage of (the customer says it a
little differently, but you get the idea) and to go do the inventory.
Is this normal? I have seen a lot of crazy customs between
reps and customers, but I have never seen anything like this that happens on a
regular basis. I am writing about it and as I am typing I can just barely
believe that it really happened.
What this actually comes down to is the old saying, “The
Customer is Always Right”. To some extent I believe this because I know the
customer can be wrong but they can also shop anywhere they want. If a good old
fashion screaming match makes the customer happy, it is our job to give him
just that. But keep in mind, you need to know the customer well enough so you
don’t take it a step too far.
It all comes down to this, if you are in sales long enough,
and you call on enough customers just about anything can happen.
Lorin
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